City council approves new surveillance technology to help solve violent crimes
City council approves new surveillance technology to help solve violent crimes
Publish Date: 2026-05-14 16:07:00
Source Domain: wlos.com
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — The Asheville Police Department says a new surveillance technology could help them solve violent crimes more quickly with a new Real-Time Intelligence Center approved by the Asheville City Council on Tuesday, May 12.
The council approved a $1.14 million federal grant to create the center, allowing APD to access camera feeds. APD already has access to more efficiently through a centralized system inside police headquarters downtown.
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Deputy Chief Shawn Aardema with APD said that the department already uses camera footage from systems operated by partners such as Asheville City Schools and the Housing Authority of the City of Asheville.
“So instead of having to log into each one of those systems, an analyst just logs into Fusus and they can click on a location on the map and it will come up and say these are the available cameras in that area,” Aardema said. “It’s kind of a one-stop shop to access whatever video evidence is available.”
The future center will be staffed by crime analysts, not patrol officers, according to APD.
MAY 14, 2026 – The Asheville Police Department says a new surveillance technology could help them solve violent crimes more quickly with a new Real-Time Intelligence Center approved by the Asheville City Council on Tuesday, May 12. (Photo: WLOS Staff)
Still, the proposal sparked backlash during Tuesday’s city council meeting, where dozens of community members voiced concerns about surveillance, privacy, and the possibility of information being shared with federal immigration agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Aardema pushed back on those fears.
“We control Axon Fusus and we will not be sharing information with federal immigration,” Aardema said.
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The department says the software does not use facial recognition or artificial intelligence. Officials also emphasized…
